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Tag Archives: Outdoor Movies in the Park

Wavien, Inc. is demonstrating a new LED-Based Miniature Graphic Projector. Using its proprietary LED Recycling Technology, it produces over 1,000 lumens for indoor and outdoor applications.

Wavien’s 1,000-lumen miniature graphic projector system utilizes a 50 W single white LED from Luminus. The system projects graphic images with diameters up to 25 mm using consumer camera lenses for ease of operation.

Additionally, the use of these standard camera lenses lower the overall cost of the system, which allows high resolution images to be projected at the target. The low-power consumption of the LED-based projector allows simple battery operations and makes applications in hard-to-reach locations possible.

Dr. Kenneth Li, President and CEO of Wavien, Inc., who is also the inventor of Wavien’s recycling technology, stated this unique design enables LED-based products to have increased total brightness by over 80%.

This performance improvement is provided by adding a simple reflector with an aperture to standard LED packages. The diameter of the opening, which determines the amount of recycling, and the total size of the reflector can be scaled to meet the user’s needs.

Dr. Li noted that locations that were previously not able to have graphics projected, can now be served by Wavien’s low-power, high-output, and ultra narrow beam graphic projectors.

Wavien has made evaluation sample graphic projectors available for purchase by potential licensees of the RLT(TM) technology.

Summer will be arriving sooner than we think. Why not use that tax refund to make you the envy of your neighbors by turning your backyard into a drive-in theater? The weatherproof Blimpscreen is composed of a perforated vinyl screen, stakes, tethers, and everything else you need to assemble it. Available in all shapes and sizes, they vary from 6 x 8 up to 18 x 24 feet.You add the projector, chairs, popcorn, and admission price. A new Blimpscreen will set you back up to $12,000 dollars, but used ones can be had for as low as $1,595.00.

Petaluma’s free outdoor Movies in the Park will be held in Luchessi Park every Friday night this Summer. Admission is free. These family entertainment nights will include local bands, food, drink, raffles and a movie at dusk. Proceeds benefit local non-profits. Bring a blanket or low-backed chairs. This Friday, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is playing.

The Village Board debated this week whether allowing outdoor movie rental kiosks to operate in commercial districts would give children access to “adult” movies.

“I don’t think we can have video kiosks at all because of the (chance of) illicit materials being made available to minors,” said Trustee Vince Mancini.

Several kiosk operators have asked permission to do business in North Aurora, said Community Development Director Scott Buening. Though Woodman’s Market operates its own kiosk inside its store, the village does not have any specific rules about outdoor kiosks located on land owned by other businesses, he said.

Village attorney Kevin Drendel said that banning movie rental kiosks because they might dispense R- or X-rated films to minors would violate kiosk owners’ First Amendment rights.

He added that trustees could legally require kiosk owners who plan to rent adult films to supervise the kiosks and prevent minors from renting inappropriate films under the village’s adult products display ordinance. That ordinance would apply to movie rentals, even though it’s typically used to hide the covers of adult magazines from children’s view.

“I’d be much more comfortable with them being indoors and not cluttering the sidewalks,” said Trustee Michael Herlihy.

They agreed that allowing kiosks in store parking lots could disrupt traffic flow and create a potential hazard.

Herlihy argued that drawing up regulations to allow outdoor movie rental kiosks would be more trouble than it’s worth, especially because, he said, Internet movie rentals will make the kiosks obsolete within a few years.

“Is it beneficial to the village to have 24-hour video rental kiosks when people can download movies whenever they want?” he asked.

The town of Kingsville is offering free outdoor movie nights this summer. People are invited to come to Kingsville parks with lawn chairs and blankets to watch the Friday night flicks.

Adam Sandler in Bedtime Stories

Although the movie is free, the town will accept donations for its recreation programs and the sales of beverages, snacks and popcorn will support Skate Kingsville, Cottam Minor Ball and Kingsville Community Church.

The first Friday night outdoor movie is Beverly Hills Chihuahua. It will be held at Lakeside Park in Kingsville June 26.

The July 31 movie is Game Plan and it will be held at Ridgeview Park in Cottam.

Bedtime Stories will be shown Aug. 21 at Lakeside Park.

The movie nights start at 7:30 p.m. but the movie won’t be shown until dusk.

I hope this catches on. I watched drive-in movies as a small child but wasn’t old enough to remember much of the experience. Good thing. My parents said they sat in the front seat and watched some PG movie while their kids peeked out the back window at a not-for-kids flick. Ruh-roh!

Pull out those picnic blankets and thermoses, outdoor screening season is here! In the next couple of weeks, a slew of Toronto parks and public spaces will turn in to makeshift movie theatres just after sundown.

In addition to providing film buffs with an excuse to enjoy the summer weather, the outdoor screening lineup this year is as great for movie-watching as it is for people-watching. Retro, action, animated, and even art house, you’ll find it somewhere in Toronto, and probably for free.

Yonge-Dundas Square’s Safecracker Cinema Series

The megahub presents a summer of slicksters and tricksters. Frank Sinatra, George Clooney, Steve McQueen and Clive Owen, to name just a few. A great set of heist films are on through July and August, including a few back-to-back screenings of classics along with remakes of the same film. Action! Suspense! Free!

TIFF cozies up with its soon-to-be neighbours this season, teaming up with the Entertainment District’s BIA to bring free outdoor movie nights to the hood. The folks at the CN Tower are on also board with the promise of a “golden light show” at the beginning of each film. Curious? Check it out Wednesday nights (or on Thursdays if rainy) in Metro Square, near King & John, just west of Roy Thomson Hall.

Outdoor movies are nothing new. In the earliest days of the cinema, entrepreneurs turned vacant lots into “airdomes” by erecting temporary walls, setting up a projector, and collecting nickels and dimes from paying customers. The post-WW2 generation embraced the “ozoner,” or the drive-in, as a way to save money and, if one was on a date, take advantage of the privacy offered by a car.

But somewhere along the way, outdoor movies lost favor, even as the summer season grew increasingly important to Hollywood’s bottom line. The last drive-in left in Maryland–Middle River’s Bengies (bengies.com)–survived as much due to its retro charm and the charisma of oddball, rule-making owner D. Edward Vogel as its regular triple features. The summer blockbusters of the past four decades were almost all enjoyed indoors, often in chilly theaters with uncomfortable seats, buttery popcorn, and giant sodas. With the home entertainment boom, many moviegoers gave up on theaters altogether, and, now, people watch movies by themselves on their computer screens.

But in the past decade or so, outdoor cinema has made a comeback, in Baltimore and elsewhere. Fans hungry for the shared experience of moviegoing congregate to see their favorite films all over the city, from a Federal Hill slope to a pier in Fells Point to the heart of Little Italy. And this doesn’t even count the neighborhood and backyard screenings that allow anyone with a projector and a library card to set up their own impromptu 16mm series. Even people who got out of the moviegoing habit entirely show up to see films with their neighbors, making Baltimore summers like those in the distant past, when every neighborhood had its own theater.

While some venues offer popcorn and sno-balls, moviegoers can self-cater, making the night’s experience as sophisticated–or not–as one desires. Likewise, it’s bring your own seat, so choose between a beach towel, a blanket, or a lawn chair. Summer films start at sundown–which is almost 9 p.m., in June and July–but people often show up an hour in advance, so if you’re on time you might not be able to find a spot to see the screen. While there’s no Rocky Horror-style catcalling, dogs and kids are everywhere, so don’t expect the audience to be in rapt silence. Mid-evening thunderstorms can ruin the most anticipated screenings (some venues, including the American Visionary Art Museum, have indoor backup plans), and the programming is sometimes a bit too populist, but on the right night, with the right film, there’s nothing more satisfying than a movie under the stars. And, maybe best of all, they’re all free.
Little Italy Outdoor Film Festival

High and Stiles streets; littleitalymd.com

The grandfather of the local summer movie programs, the Little Italy Outdoor Film Festival marks its 14th year this summer and, as always, showcases Italian-flavored films on Friday nights. In what’s become a tradition, the festival opens with Moonstruck, the 1987 romantic comedy starring Nicholas Cage and Cher. This year’s films use Italy as the backdrop for romance, from the naïve lunching ladies in Tea With Mussolini to the unlikely romance of a Philadelphia lawyer and a young cabaret singer in It Started in Naples. The program also includes a number of contemporary takes on the same themes, from this year’s magic realist rom-com When in Rome to the 2003 Hollywood homage to the heist film classic The Italian Job.

July 2: Moonstruck
July 9: Bread and Tulips
July 16: Tea With Mussolini
July 23: Big Night

Outdoor movie nights in your own backyard can be a way to watch a great movie while enjoying the great outdoors. Here are a few ideas to turn your back yard into your own place to view that favorite movie. Invite friends and neighbors for some outdoor fun. Have the adults bring a lawn chair and the kids bring blankets to sit on the ground.

Option/Idea One: Simply take an extra T.V. and move it to the backyard in a suitable location for sitting or lying on a blanket. Or use a card table. If you have a small portable DVD player or an old VHS player, this will have to go out with the T.V.

A spare set of speakers to go along with the T.V. will make the experience even better. However, remember that not all of your neighbors may agree, so make sure the audio portion is appropriate.

Option/Idea Two: relocate a computer that plays DVDs. With the proliferation of flat-screen monitors they tend to be light and easy to move. A good solid table or stand are probably the main considerations so as to limit the exposure of your pricey computer system to the elements.

For those that have a laptop, consider locating the laptop and a decent viewable screen to the desired place in the backyard as laptops are portable and offer much more flexibility. A flat screen or standard T.V. may work depending on your laptop’s monitor output capabilities. Most modern laptops offer several options to put the screen on TV’s for photo viewing and that can be extended to allow DVD player software to be viewed as well.

Option/Idea Three: An overhead projector. If you don’t have one at home, you may be able to rent one. Connect a laptop or portable DVD player to the projector system on a table and prepare a surface for projecting the image. The best and quickest way to get the movie projected is to either shoot it onto the side of the house or strategically place a large white sheet in an appropriate place.

For a screen, here’s where you can get creative. A white or light surface is the desired area for any projection. Using a white sheet gives you limitless options. Throw a rope between two trees and drape the sheet or if your house is of a darker color, tape or secure the white sheet to the side of the house.

Make hot apple cider and kettle corn as snacks. Kettle corn is simple to make with popcorn kernels, sugar, oil and a dash of salt. Eating popcorn outside means no clean up!

Outdoor movie night can add excitement and make the ordinary a little more extra-ordinary. Kids love being outside and an outdoor movie could top off any movie night as well as make it special.

Come and enjoy a free outdoor movie under the stars at Forest Park this Saturday, 20th of November. The movie screening is family-favourite animated movie – Fantastic Mr Fox (rated PG). It’s a movie about a wily, cunning fox who outsmarts three feeble-minded farmers who resorted to extreme tactics to protect their chickens. It’s an animated adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s book with the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray.

It’s a fun movie for the whole family – just bring your rug and picnic!